I have an octagonal Homebase 'hardwood' table that's been in the garden for 5 years or so, treated every 2 with some garden furniture protector (probably cuprinol stuff). I've just noticed this year that the centre cross members have gone spongy, obviously completely rotten from the inside, while the rest of the wood, even the legs which usually sit in the pools of water on the patio during heavy rain, are fine and solid.
I take it the cross sections in the middle weren't made from a durable hardwood, or should I expect it not to last more than 5 years?
Is there anything I could do to rescue it (other than replacing the centre cross bars?) - would these wood hardener products help get another year or so of life out of it or should I just scrap it and buy something of better quality?